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Archive for the ‘new zealand’ Category

NZ: Worst Flooding in 150 Years

Massive Flooding Destroys Bridges, Roads in South Island

Disaster-stricken New Zealand was struck by yet another catastrophe, as torrential rain and strong winds pummeled top of the South Island causing extensive damage to infrastructure.

“Raging waters in the Aorere River have destroyed the Salisbury Swing Bridge and the James Road Bridge. Livestock has been swept away and houses flooded.” Newstalk ZB

An aerial photograph of the Aorere River and Aorere Valley flooded after heavy rains swept through the region. Photo: Tasman District Council/ via Nelson Mail

Major South Island roads remain closed after yesterday’s flooding caused by “a fast-moving storm” swept through the region buffeting much of New Zealand with strong winds and torrential rain, reports say.

“In Golden Bay at the top of the South Island, the Aorere River reached very high levels. The river can normally be forded on foot during summer, but was flowing at 3500cu m per second at the peak.” NZPA said.

The Marlborough district was also badly hit, with extensive damage reported in the Rai Valley, Canvastown, Northbank and the Marlborough Sounds.

“Drenched campers were forced to flee the Pelorus Bridge campground, 59km north west of Blenheim, as the river surged through the site, lifting a caravan and tents before receding yesterday. They were being looked after by local residents.” The report said.

New Zealand floods would most probably trigger a major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease FMD (Aphtae epizooticae) throughout the country. —FIRE-EARTH

An agitated female orca attacks dolphins, a female with her young pup, eventually tossing her into the air and snapping her back. Photo: Tommy Hatwell/Explore Images/Ferrari Press Agency. Image may be subject to copyright.

The attack occurred just a few weeks after the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, 40,“trainer” at SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

[Note: The news of the attack which occurred on or about March 28, 2010, was buried by Google, and only became known to us when a reader submitted a link to the photo.]

The dolphin died moments later as the rest of the whales began to devour her and her helpless pup.

The attack occurred at a seaside spot called Black Rocks, in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, where tourist flock to watch dolphins, invariably agitating and harming the animals.

“The boat was just 50 to 100m away while the killing occurred, as the other pseudo orcas fled.” one of the tour operators declared proudly, calling the incident a “one in a million” chance.

Serial No 1,561. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by the authorities/Google in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Thrill-seeking holidaymakers are putting dolphins at risk

Tourists wanting to watch and swim with dolphins are now being urged to keep their distance in a bid to protect both the animals and the local communities whose livelihoods depend on them.

A study of bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Zanzibar has found that the many tourist boats operating in the area are harassing the animals, preventing them from resting, feeding and nurturing their young.

The research, led by Dr Per Berggren of Newcastle University, also highlights swimming with dolphins – in particular where tourists swim in very close and try to touch the dolphins– as being incredibly stressful for the animals.

Printed today in the academic journal Endangered Species Research, the authors say regulation of the dolphin tourism industry is “urgently needed” to minimize the potential long-term negative impact on the animals.

Dr Berggren, who joined Newcastle from Stockholm University earlier this month, explained: “The current situation in Zanzibar is unsustainable. The local community is dependent on tourism – and therefore the dolphins – but unless the activity is regulated the animals will leave.

“Our study found that whenever the tourist boats were present the dolphins were very unsettled and spent less time feeding, socialising or resting. This has a negative impact, not only on individual animals, but on the population as a whole and long term it could be devastating.

“The problem is that any change needs to be tourist-driven. Many visitors will pay drivers extra in tips to steer their boats in close, herding the dolphins so they can dive right in amongst them. Our message is, keep your distance and put the dolphins first.”

Dolphin-watching was introduced off the South coast of Zanzibar in 1992. Today it is one of the few places in the world where tourism has completely replaced the traditional dolphin hunt – an activity which threatened the local population of around 150 bottlenose dolphins.

“Abolishing the hunts was a major breakthrough and dolphin watching offered a humane, sustainable alternative,” says Dr Berggren.

“Unfortunately, without regulation, dolphin tourism brings with it its own challenges.”

Watching the dolphins over a period of 40 days, the research team found that in the presence of the tourist boats, the time the dolphins spent resting dropped from 38 per cent of the time to 10 per cent while the time they spent foraging and socialising dropped from 19 and 10 per cent to just 10 and 4 per cent, respectively.

Meanwhile, travelling behaviour more than doubled in proportion, from 33 to 77 per cent, becoming by far the most dominant activity state during interactions with tourist boats.

“Overall, the dolphins are using more energy than they are taking in because they aren’t resting or feeding as much but are swimming more as they try to avoid the tourist boats,” explains Dr Berggren, based in the School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University.

“Zanzibar is a wonderful place, the dolphins are incredibly interesting and between July and October there are also breeding humpbacks in the area. I would recommend that anyone go there for a holiday and support the local community but act responsibly and ask operators to follow existing guidelines.” Contact: Dr. Per Berggren per.berggren@ncl.ac.uk

Pete Bethune, a Sea Shepherd protester from New Zealand, boarded a Japanese whaling vessel, Shonan Maru No. 2, to ‘arrest its captain’ for the ‘‘destruction of the Ady Gil and attempted murder of the six Ady Gil crew members,’ ‘A statement on the Sea Shepherd website said.

Ady Gil, Sea Shepherd’s ‘stealth vessel,’ collided with Shonan Maru No. 2 on Jan 6, and sank later. Both parties have since blamed each other for the incident.

According to Sea Shepherd skipper Paul Watson Bethune traveled by jet ski from the Steve Irwin, the group’s flagship vessel to deliver a letter to the Shonan Maru No. 2 requesting he return with him to the Steve Irwin, to be transferred to New Zealand’s Maritime Safety Authority and police.

‘‘If you refuse to be arrested, then I am requesting that you deliver me to Wellington (New Zealand),’’ Bethune wrote in his letter to the Japanese captain.

‘‘Having sunk my vessel, and with our issuing of a mayday call, you have an obligation under maritime law to provide me with safe passage back to land,’’ he added.

‘‘I will only leave the Shonan Maru when you transfer with me to the Steve Irwin, or when we arrive on land, be it New Zealand or Australia.’‘

Bethune reportedly delivered an invoice for the cost of replacing Ady Gil, threatening the captain with criminal charges if payment was not received in four weeks.

‘‘We will be seeking punitive damages, in addition to the full replacement cost of the Ady Gil…further to this we will be laying criminal charges against the captain of the Shonan Maru (No. 2),’’ wrote Bethune.

Meanwhile, amid all the action on the high seas, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation quietly euthanized at least 19 pilot whales that were allegedly beached at West Ruggedy Beach on Stewart Island.

Department of Conservation (DOC) employees said they were forced to euthanize the whales, because the seas were rough.

“They were in reasonably good health when we got there but the weather conditions were so bad it would have been far too dangerous to try anything else,” an official said.

In December 2009, at least 150 whales died after they became stranded on Coromandel peninsula, most probably due to noise pollution from NZ oil exploration, tourist boats and planes, as well as toxic pollution in New Zealand’s coastal waters.

As up to 40 more than 50 Japanese Schoolgirls Quarantined for Suspected Swine Flu in New Zealand …

Earlier today, NZ media reported that more than 40 visiting Japanese schoolgirls from a party of 200 had shown symptoms of swine flu, with five of them diagnosed with the disease.

Previously the Moderators asserted that:

The A (H1N1) virus [commonly known as ‘swine flu’] originated in New Zealand.

They also postulated that the ESR labs in New Zealand had produced the virus, and possibly a number of its stronger mutations, on behalf of a client, namely the international pharmaceutical cartel.

In June 2009, it was revealed that a US scientist had been forced to say that he had been “misquoted” saying the swine flu virus originated in “either New Zealand or China.”

Professor Gus Kousoulas, the director of Louisiana State University’s division of biotechnology and molecular medicine, had been quoted as saying: “We think it [swine flu] began in New Zealand or China,” adding that his conclusion “was based on early phylogenetic analysis of availablesequences.”

In April 2009, MSRB Moderators posited that Swine Flu was A Deadly $100 billion Scam. They wrote: “Is this the “perfect” viral mutation engineered to kill only a small number of ‘brown’ people? [So as to warrant WHO raising its alert level to phase 5, possibly beyond, justifying governments to spend billions of dollars on flu drugs!]

For the rest of Swine Flu “Mystery” see links below:

Swine Flu: A Deadly $100 $600 billion Scam

Updates, additional news and background reading are posted in the comment section at the bottom of each page.

STAY OUT OF NEW ZEALAND!

FEWW is re-posting the WARNING with renewed urgency:

Seismic, Volcanic and Climatological Warning!____________________________________________________________ The New Zealand region is undergoing large-scale tectonic [seismological and volcanic] activities and significant climatological events. Would be visitors are well advised to stay clear of the area for the foreseeable future.

1. Why are so many New Zealanders sickened by swine flu virus, compared with only a few cases in the United States?

2. Did the virus really originate from Mexico?

TEAA wrote:

Total number of New Zealanders visiting Mexico City since March 2009: Not very many, possibly a few hundred.

Reported number of New Zealanders sickened by Swine flu virus: More than 20 percent of the visitors [FEWW estimate is about 5% of the visitors]

Total number of US citizens visiting Mexico City or coming into contact with people traveling from MC since March: Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of citizens [FEWW estimates the number at 1,000,000]

Total number of US citizens hit by Swine flu: Less than two dozens

Based on the figures provided by TEAA, the Moderators estimate that the ratio of the rate of New Zealanders with suspected infection to those in the United States is about 250,000 : 1

In other words, New Zealanders have shown to be 250,000 more likely to catch the suspected swine flu virus than the US citizen.

FEWW also estimate that

The ratio of the rate of New Zealanders who traveled to Mexico City and are now suspected to have swine flu to the infected people in Mexico is about 275,000 : 1

And

Rate ratio of New Zealanders to the infected people in Mexico Cityis about 45,000 : 1

All of the data available are of course preliminary and subject to speculation. However, the readers would agree that the numbers are too significant to disregard as statistical anomaly.

Where did the swine flu virus originate from? Mexico, New Zealand or some place else?

Is it possible that the new strain of swine flu was developed in New Zealand and flown to Mexico for experiments?

Has New Zealand ever committed any major crimes such as genocide, mass murder, crimes against humanity and nature, large-scale environmental destruction, eco-terrorism … to warrant any such insinuation?

Large-scale environmental pollution.New Zealand is the size of Colorado yet it hosts up to 94 million farm animals (livestock excluding poultry), which discharge an estimated 300 million tons of effluent to the environment each year. New Zealand’s intensive animal industries produce about 4 times more manure than they could safely use as fertilizer. [The leftover is discharged or washed off into NZ coastal waters.]

A key government official in Fiji claims she has email written by Michael green, a senior New Zealand “diplomat,” showing secret interference in Fiji’s internal affairs. A report by Fiji Human Rights Commission head and Ombudsman Shaista Shameem states New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy secretary, Michael Green, is involved in a “conspiracy to cripple the administration of justice in Fiji”. Michael Green was New Zealand’s High Commissioner in Fiji until he was declared persona non grata and kicked out of the country in June 2007. Dr Shameem says he “was still interfering in Fiji’s internal affairs”. (Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4592575a11.html).

A suspected New Zealand SIS agent arrested in the Philippines in connection with a 2003 mutiny. Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials say they are doing what they can to help the suspect, NZPA said. … “The man, identified only by his surname Newman, and six retired Philippine Navy soldiers have been detained by the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration and Organised Crime Task Force, The Dominion Post reported.”… “The man had appointed a lawyer and did not want any other information released.”

New Zealand government debts are UNMANAGEABLE. They would take any measure to avoid bankruptcy and stay in control. The flu vaccine business is an extremely lucrative market, and NZ govt as the owners of ESR labs. would stop short of nothing to exploit that market. They currently have in place various arrangements with vaccine manufacturers, including a contract with Australia’s CSL Ltd— a flu vaccine manufacturer. The following are excerpts from Will NZ become Iceland?

The [New Zealand] economy is in its worst recession on record, and the government faces a sea of red ink – will New Zealand end up like Iceland?

[T]he economy is shrinking as the once-hot housing market has stalled, skyrocketing fuel and food prices have turned consumers cautious and the credit crunch has hit.

New Zealand “is one of the most heavily indebted developed economies, as measured by the net international investment position as a percentage of GDP,” Trinh [a currency analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Sydney] said in a note to investors.

New Zealand “is one of the most heavily indebted developed economies, as measured by the net international investment position as a percentage of GDP,” Trinh said in a note to investors.[Sue Trinh is a currency analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Sydney]

At the end of March last year, New Zealand’s national debt, as measured by a negative net international investment position, was 86 percent of GDP, second to Iceland in the group of countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

End Quote

See also NZ government’s own debt forecast: New Zealand Parliament – 2. Government Debt—Forecasts

Moderators have demonstrated New Zealand government’s ability to commit the crime (means), the reason why they committed the crime (motive), and the opportunity to commit the crime (opportunity). The readers can make up their own mind.

The center of earthquake cluster incidence within the epicentral region of the Kermadec Trench appears to be shifting south-southwest of its historical position, and closer to New Zealand North Island.

According to FEWW analysis a magnitude 8+ earthquake would likely strike the Kermadec Isles epicentral region centered in an area about 285km SSE of Raoul Island [~900km NE of Auckland, New Zealand] before the New Year. Since 1900 only one other earthquake with a magnitude of 8 has struck the region. [1917 May 1 18:26 UTC, Depth: 60 km – USGS data]

Why Both Fonterra & NZ Govt Must Have Known About Tainted Baby Formula Long Before Their Corporate Manslaughter Case

The following article, which is reprinted in full in view of public interest, is another damning testimony why both Fonterra and New Zealand Government must have known about Sanlu tainted milk practice by as early as December 2004.

Tainted Milk Powder Banned Four Years Ago – But back on shelf with authorities’ backup

Deception that began four years ago continues, as the furore of tainted powdered milk causing kidney stones in babies spreads throughout China.

The public learned, earlier this month, that milk powder tainted with melamine has been found to be the cause of kidney stones in infants across China. At least four babies have died as a result.

In an incident four years ago, following the “Big Head Baby” media report in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, Sanlu’s powdered milk had been blacklisted as inferior.

Shortly after, Sanlu was removed from the blacklist, by the communist regime’s food administration, and reinstated.

Many people in Fuyang, knowing that Sanlu powdered milk had quality problems, suspected the company of manipulating the local and central government officials and using the Chinese state media in efforts to restore its reputation.

Media Reports Indicated No Crisis

A December 7, 2004 reprint of state-run Xinhua news by China Pharmaceutical News headline reading: ‘Sanlu Powdered Milk: Turn Crisis into an Advantage’ provided a clue that the group was aware the powdered milk had been tainted.

On January 16, 2004, Zhang Guangkui of Yongzhuang Village, Luzhai Town, Linquan County, Fuyang City, Anhui Province complained that the Sanlu infant powdered milk formula that he bought was tainted.

On April 22, the front page of local Fuyang newpaper Yingzhou Evening News printed a list of tainted powdered milk brands resulting from the spot check. Sanlu infant milk formula was 32nd on the list.

On the same day, Sanlu Group deputy general manager Zhang Zhenling and other high level staff members hurried to Fuyang City to negotiate with the local government. A statement said: “ … a mistake was made by related workers” and Fuyang City apologized.

A few days after April 22, 2004, markets all over the country were compelled to remove and seal Sanlu’s powdered milk.

On April 26, the Ministry of Public Health, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) issued an emergency notice requesting local law-enforcing departments to allow normal sales of Sanlu powdered milk.

On the first working day after the “May 1” seven-day-long holidays that year, AQSIQ announced that as a result of a spot check, 30 companies producing powdered milk had been declared as safe.

Sanlu was the first one on the list.

Public Relations Crisis Management Efforts

According to a Xinhua News report in 2004, on April 27, Sanlu and several dozen dairy enterprises conducted good faith symposiums in several cities. The theme was ‘Resisting Killer Powdered Milk’.

They jointly released the first ‘Dairy Business Good Faith Pledge’ in the country, firmly promising not to produce or sell inferior quality dairy products.

Within one day, Sanlu had notified 93 media nationwide, and 19 media removed Sanlu powdered milk from their blacklist reports.

On April 28, 2004, organized by Specific Association for Child Food, Chinese Society for Food Science and Technology, Sanlu and nine food security trusts donated 4,985 boxes of infant powdered milk to Fuyang City in an experimental bid for commercial enterprises.

After these events, in many business strategy documents and articles, Sanlu was used as model for managing crisis successfully.

In September 2008, when poisonous Sanlu powdered milk was first exposed, Sanlu vigorously denied any contamination in the powdered milk and attempted to redeem itself by citing conclusions given by the authoritative quality examination departments.

According to Tencent QQ financial channel report on September 11, Sanlu Group media department indicated;

“Sanlu is a brand product of powdered milk, the production is strictly in accordance with national standards and the product is qualified. Currently, there is no evidence indicating illness caused by Sanlu powdered milk.”

Since the incident came to light last week, the Sanlu Group has continued to gloss over it and deny involvement, while passing the blame onto dairy farmers.

As pressure increases domestically and internationally, the communist regime’s officials, at all levels, have ducked for cover saying that Sanlu knew the facts all along but failed to file a report. Copyright the author or respective news agency. [Emphasis are added by FEWW]

53,000 babies sickened, 13,000 of them hospitalized and at least 4 dead in Sanlu-Fonterra corporate manslaughter

Australian news outlet LiveNews reported that about 13,000 Chinese children have been hospitalized after consuming contaminated Sanlu-Fonterra baby formula. However, the reported number of babies who lost their lives appears to have been suppressed by the authorities and remains at 4 dead infants.

Security staff keep order as families with children who are undergoing medical checks for possible kidney stones wait their turn at a hospital in Chongqing municipality, September 19, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright.

In a new development, a Hong Kong toddler was diagnosed with a kidney stone after consuming melamine-tainted baby formula, the first reported casualty outside mainland China. [Source]

The Chinese PM, Wen Jiabao appeared on state television promising to prevent further incidents. [More likely to prevent the news of further incidents from spreading!]

DO NOT IMPORT NEW ZEALAND FLOWERS, FRUIT, FARM PRODUCE

As of midnight Friday September 12, 2008 the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, is banning all New Zealand flower imports following the discovery of flower shipments containing light brown apple moth eggs.

The light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Tortricidae), is a native pest of Australia and is now widely distributed in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Caledonia.

Light brown apple moths

USDA confirmed the detection of LBAM in Alameda County, California on March 22, 2007. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) aggressively surveyed the area to discover the extent to the infestation and identified the pest in 11 additional counties. Intense control activities have contained LBAM within the initial detection area, and effectively eradicated the pest from Napa and Los Angeles counties.

LBAM is of particular concern because it can damage a wide range of crops and other plants including California’s prized cypress as well as redwoods, oaks and many other varieties commonly found in California’s urban and suburban landscaping, public parks and natural environment. The list of agricultural crops that could be damaged by this pest includes grapes, citrus, stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots) and many others. The complete “host list” contains well over 1,000 plant species and more than 250 fruits and vegetables.

USDA and CDFA are working aggressively to control and eradicate this pest before it has the chance to spread requiring greater resources to protect American agriculture and our urban and suburban landscape. (Source)

Identification

There are many native tortricids that can be confused for the LBAM. Adult moths must be identified by a qualified entomologist. Larval stages cannot be reliably identified using morphological characters. If you suspect the presence of LBAM, please notify your state department of agriculture or theState Plant Health Director’s Office of USDA, APHIS, PPQ.

E. postvittana 5th instar larvae

New Zealand: Home to over 250 LBAM host species

The insect is regarded as an herbivorous generalist, and the larvae feed on numerous horticultural crops in Australia and New Zealand, where they have limited natural predators. It is known to feed on 123 dicotyledonous plant species, including 22 Australian natives, belonging to 55 different families. In New Zealand, over 250 host species have been recorded. It feeds on nearly all types of fruit crops, ornamentals, vegetables, glasshouse crops, and occasionally young pine seedlings.

The larvae cause significant damage to foliage and fruit. Early instars feed on tissue beneath the upper epidermis (surface layer) of leaves, while protected under self-constructed silken webs on the undersurface of leaves. Larger larvae migrate from these positions to construct feeding niches between adjacent leaves, between a leaf and a fruit, in the developing bud, or on a single leaf, where the leaf roll develops. The late stage larvae feed on all leaf tissue except main veins

In New Zealand, over 250 host species have been recorded. It feeds on nearly all types of fruit crops, ornamentals, vegetables, glasshouse crops, and occasionally young pine seedlings. (Source)

Global Warming Tolls the Death Knell for Tuvalu

Massive tides, high winds and rising sea levels are causing erosion to the four reef islands and five true atolls that comprise the tiny country of Tuvalu.

Map of Tuvalu

Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, the low-lying Polynesian islands are located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. The nine-island cluster contains 600 sq km of ocean, but only a total of 25 sq km of land.

Tuvaluans reaching end of the road.(AP Yonhap). Image may be subject to copyright!

“The residents of Tepuka Savilivili, an island 10 kilometers away from Funafuti, also sense the crisis. One day in 1997, an uninhabited island simply vanished. The residents explained that gale winds blew and covered the island during the night. The next day, the coconut trees had vanished.” Wrote Nam Jong-yeong.

Drinking water is mixing with salty ocean water; the coconut trees are vanishing; during high tides seawater covers most parts of the islands.

Thousands of Tuvaluans have already left the shrinking islands, most of them arriving in what they believe to be a safe destination: New Zealand.

Their new home, however, could breakup and sink in the south-western Pacific Ocean as a result of massive earthquakes. It’s rather like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire!

Water, Water Everywhere!

“A Conspiracy Against the Public”: For reasons unknown to Moderators, Google has blocked this post.

In the past week dozens of world’s cities and regions have been flooded:

Romania: Areas north of Bucharest Ukraine: Western Ivano-Frankivsk region
India: Western city of Ahmedabad, the plains of Asam, eastern city of Patna

People make their way along a flooded park in Xiangfan, Hubei province, China, July 23, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair use Notice!
Bangladesh: Northeastern regions
New Zealand: Various areas throughout the islands
South Korea: Seoul and the country’s central regions UK: Shropshire, West MidlandsMexico: City of Matamoros and nearby regionsUnited States: Southern Texas, New Mexico, central Alabama, northeast Missouri, China: Provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei, Sichuan and Hualien

Do You Feel Lucky in 2008?

Ukraine: Worst floods in 100 years

Floods caused by 5 days of nonstop rain kill up to 20 people, mostly children. A senior government official described the floods as the worst in 100 years. More than 20,000 homes have been flooded and 7,000 people evacuated.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko (3rd L) visits a settlement affected by floods in the Ivano-Frankivsk region July 27, 2008. Floods described by a senior government official as the worst in a century have killed 13 people in western Ukraine and four in neighboring Romania, officials said on Sunday. REUTERS/Mykhailo Markiv/pool

President Viktor Yushchenko flew to the worst affected area in the Ivano-Frankivsk region after leaving early a service in Kiev marking the 1,020th anniversary of the adoption of Orthodox Christianity in the region. Reuters reported.

Romania

Up to 10,000 people from 200 villages were evacuated as 2,500 houses and 25,000 hectares of farmland were flooded. At least 4 people were killed, including a child who drowned.

“We have two critical situations, on the rivers Siret and Prut,” Romanian Prime Minister said.

“So you understand the gravity of the situation, water levels on the river Prut next to the borders with Ukraine and Moldova are higher than on the Danube.”

New Zealand: Worst weather in 50 years.

g at least three dead and as many as 100,000 homes without electricity. About 10,000 tourists were stranded. [In 2008, New Zealand has thus far experienced the worst deforestation rates,worst snow storms, worst floods, worst drought and worst storms in 50 years.]

South Korea: Worst Floods in 50 Years

Up to 20 people were killed or reported as missing as the fourth day of torrential rains lashed parts of South Korea . In the worst-hit areas of North Gyeongsang province, up to 250 mm of rain
in a 24-hour period caused landslides and flooding forcing people to evacuate their homes.

Kenya

Cholera outbreak has affected eight districts in Nyanza and Western provinces. Over 80% of cholera transmission has been attributed to lack of access to safe drinking/domestic water. About 75% of the water sources are contaminated.

Myanmar

Some three months after Cyclone Nargis struck the country inflicting immense damage, as many as 700,000 children are still in need of assistance. The cyclone destroyed or damaged about 750,000 homes, affected about 2.4 million people and destroyed three quarters of the local health facilities. “In addition, the cyclone struck a severe blow to people’s livelihoods by flooding 600,000 hectares of agricultural land, killing up to 50 per cent of livestock in the affected areas, and destroying fishing boats, food stocks and agricultural implements. According to the report, the damages and losses amount to $4 billion.” UNICEF reported.

Taiwan

Typhoon Fung-Wong with winds up to 147km/h (92 mph) struck the east coast of Taiwan today with heavy rains, forcing schools and businesses to close. In July 18, tropical storm Kalmaegi struck southern Taiwan, which left 20 people killed and 6 missing. “A Central Weather Bureau forecaster was quoted as saying the total rainfall may reach 900mm (35 inches).” BBC reported.

Global Temps 2008: Eighth Warmest June and Ninth Warmest January – June Period on Record

NOAA – The combined average global land and ocean surface temperatures for June 2008 ranked eighth warmest for June since worldwide records began in 1880, according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Also, globally it was the ninth warmest January – June period on record.

Global Highlights

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for June 2008 was 60.8 degrees F, which is 0.9 degrees F above the 20th century mean of 59.9 degrees F.

Separately, the global land surface temperature was 57.2 degrees F, which is 1.3 degrees F above the 20th century mean of 55.9 degrees F.

The global ocean surface temperature was 62.2 degrees F, which is 0.7 degrees F above the 20th century mean of 61.5 degrees F.

For the January – June period, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was 57.1 degrees F, which is 0.8 degrees F about the 20th century mean of 56.3 degrees F.

Sea Surface Temperatures NCEP – UWSSEC

The global annual temperature for combined land and ocean surfaces in 2007 was +0.55°C (+0.99°F) above the 20th century average, ranking 5th warmest in the period of record.

Young People: Causes of Deaths [in New Zealand]

Young people in the 10 to 14-year age group were more likely to die of cancer and a range of diseases which afflict various sites and systems of the body (nervous system, sense organs and endocrine system). In 1994, 62.7 percent of deaths of 10 to 14-year-olds were the result of chronic illnesses or diseases, while 77.9 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds died from external causes, particularly due to accidents, suicide and self-inflicted injury, and non-motor vehicle accidents.

Photomicrograph of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, 675x Mag. A pus specimen, viewed using Pappenheim’s stain. Last century, infections by S. pyogenes claimed many lives especially since the organism was the most important cause of puerperal fever and scarlet fever. This media comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’sPublic Health Image Library (PHIL), with identification number #2110.

“Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us … ” Ban Ki-Moon

How many billions of air miles do you and your staff at the UN [and all UN-affiliated organizations] fly each year? Pray tell us!

“Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions,” he said in the speech to reinforce this year’s World Environment Day theme of “CO2 Kick the Habit”.

Let’s start with the UN personnel

Unable to fight his addiction to CO2, [do as I say, not as I do] UN Chief Ban Ki-moon and his vast entourage flew to Rome [instead of establishing a video link from UN HQ in New York] to attend U.N. crisis summit on rising food prices at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) June 4, 2008. REUTERS/Nikola Solic. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

“Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit,” Ban said in a statement to mark World Environment Day, which is being marked by events around the globe and hosted by the New Zealand city of Wellington.

“Whether you are an individual, an organization, a business or a government, there are many steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. It is a message we all must take to heart,” he said.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, a “Destination Country” for White Slavery:

“We take pride in our clean [sic], green [sic] identity as a nation and we are determined to take action to protect it. We appreciate that protecting the climate means behavior change by each and every one of us,” said New Zealand Prime Minister Helen [Caligula] Clark. (Source)

Helen Clark, tell us why New Zealand gov. is spending tens of millions of dollars every year luring more than 2.5 million foreign tourists half way across the globe to destroy your “clean [sic], green [sic] identity [sic]?”

A visitor from Europe on a return flight to New Zealand produces 17.7 metric tons of CO2.

Do NOT consume capsicum and tomato imports from New Zealand!

A new disease affecting tomatoes and capsicum have been discovered at three of New Zealand’s North Island hothouses. A new bacterium has been discovered, which is causing severe problems, including leaf curling and yellowing; however, little is known about its origin or potential dangers. (Source)

Electricity Shortages in New Zealand

“Unless we have some increased inflows in the South Island hydro catchments in the next three weeks, further conservation measures will have to be looked at,” the Energy Minister [sic] said.

South Island hydro power facilities provide about two thirds of New Zealand’s electricity. According to a wholesale electricity market operator, storage in hydro-electric lakes is about 40 percent below average. As a result the price of electricity jumped by 30.6 percent to $215.26 per megawatt hour.

Location map of Taupo, New Zealand

In the 2003 power crisis, the government had planned to cut residential hot water supplies, followed by rolling power cuts for residential users, and blackouts.

Rio Tinto’s Tiwai Point aluminum smelter, located in New Zealand’s South Island, consumes about 15 percent of the country’s electricity.

Farm Produce

Earlier this month Bloomberg reported that the prolonged drought in New Zealand, the worst in 20 years, had cut farm production and more than doubled the power prices this year. New Zealand’s energy demand peaks June through August during the hemisphere winter months due to heating use. Hydro-power lakes have been below average since November 2007.

Continuing drought in New Zealand and Australia, as well as a falling production in the UK and a weak dollar, are raising the prices of milk and dairy products globally. In the past 12 months the price of milk has increased by 32 percent, eggs by 40 percent and wholewheat bread by 26 percent.

Earthquake hit south of Macquarie Island

Meanwhile, in a triple whammy, a 5.9-magnitude quake hit 2100 km (1300 miles) S of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, earlier today close to a major fault line. Recent increased seismic activities N, NW and SE of New Zealand do not bode well for the country. The earthquakes may result in a period intense volcanic activity in New Zealand in the coming weeks.

The Clueless Wen Jiabao: “Most wide-spreading impact”

Chinese PM, Wen Jiabao, was quoted as saying that the 7.9-magnitude quake that hit southwestern Sichuan province on Monday had the “most wide-spreading impact” of any earthquake since the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, Xinhua news agency quoted Wen as saying.